Buckles for safety belts

ABSTRACT

A buckle for safety belts for vehicles comprises a belt locking member and a buckle body having an opening for the insertion of the locking member. The insertion opening is defined by two stationary side plates and two locking hooks pivoted to the buckle body and cooperating with the two longitudinal edges of the locking member, which locking hooks are adapted to be swung against the action of a spring mechanism into locking position by the locking member upon insertion thereof in the buckle body, in which locking position the locking hooks engage in recesses formed in the two longitudinal edges of the locking member. The locking hooks, which under the action of the spring mechanism tend to expel the locking member inserted in the insertion opening of the buckle body, cooperate with a spring-loaded latch which in the locking position engages the locking hooks and which is adapted, upon release of the buckle, to be moved out of the engagement with the locking hooks by an operating member against spring action. This latch is movable substantially at right angles to the two side plates of the buckle, extends between the side plates, and cooperates with recesses which are formed in the side plates and serve as guides for the latch. The operating member is an arm which is pivoted to one side plate of the buckle body, is formed as a push button, and cooperates laterally of the axis of pivotment with the latch to move it when the arm is swung.

United States Patent [191 Wallin 51 Jan. 30, 1973 [54] BUCKLES FORSAFETY BELTS [75] Inventor: Jan-010i Raymond Wallin, Monsteras, Sweden[73] Assignee: Stece-AB Industrifjadrar 22 Filed: Feb. 29, 572

[21] Appl. No.: 230,285

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary ExaminerBernard A. GelakAttorney-Ker. W. Flocks [57] ABSTRACT A buckle for safety belts forvehicles comprises a belt locking member and a buckle body having anopening for the insertion of the locking member. The insertion openingis defined by two stationary side plates and two locking hooks pivotedto the buckle body and cooperating with the two longitudinal edges ofthe locking member, which locking hooks are adapted to be swung againstthe action of a spring mechanism into locking position by the lockingmember upon insertion thereof in the buckle body, in which lockingposition the locking hooks engage in recesses formed in the twolongitudinal edges of the locking member. The locking hooks, which underthe action of the spring mechanism tend to expel the locking memberinserted in the insertion opening of the buckle body, cooperate with aspring-loaded latch which in the locking position engages the lockinghooks and which is adapted, upon release of the buckle, to be moved outof the engagement with the locking hooks by an operating member againstspring action. This latch is movable substantially at right angles tothe two side plates of the buckle, extends between the side plates, andcooperates with recesses which are formed in the side plates and serveas guides for the latch. The operating member is an arm which is pivotedto one sid'e plate of the buckle body, is formed as a push button, andcooperates laterally of the axis of pivotment with the latch to move itwhen the arm is swung.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJANVIJOIHB 3 713 192 sum 1 or 2 Y QPAIENIED Jan 30 I973 IZH' IH SHEET 2 [IF BUCKLES FOR SAFETY BELTS Thisinvention relates to a buckle for safety belts for vehicles, preferablyautomobiles, aircraft and seacraft. One part of the buckle is a beltlocking member and the other part thereof is a buckle body having anopening for the insertion of the locking member, said insertion openingbeing defined by two stationary side plates spaced apart a distancesubstantially equal to the thickness of the locking member, as well asby two locking hooks pivoted to the buckle body and cooperating with thetwo longitudinal edges of the locking member, said locking hooks beingadapted to be swung against the action of a spring mechanism intolocking position by the locking member upon insertion thereof in thebuckle body, in which locking position the locking hooks engage inrecesses formed in the two longitudinal edges of the locking member, andsaid locking hooks, which under the action of the spring mechanism tendto expel the locking member inserted in the insertion opening of thebuckle body, cooperate with a spring-loaded latch which in the lockingposition engages the locking hooks and which is adapted, upon release ofthe buckle, to be moved out of the engagement with the locking hooks byan operating member against spring action. According to the invention,the latch is movable substantially at right angles to the two sideplates of the buckle, said latch extending between the side plates andcooperating with recesses which are formed in said side plates and serveas guides for the latch, and the operating member is an arm which ispivoted to one side plate of the buckle body, is formed as a pushbutton, and cooperates laterally of the axis of pivotment with the latchto move it when the arm is swung. The invention provides a buckle forsafety belts which is of simple construction and reliable function. Thebuckle produces a favorable distribution of forces between the twolocking hooks and moreover a small force is required for release of thebuckle.

An embodiment of the invention will be more fully described hereinbelowwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view and FIG. 2 a front view of the buckle in releasingposition;

FIG. 3 is a side view and FIG. 4 a front view of the buckle in lockingposition;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views of a detail of the buckle as seen in twoperpendicular directions;

FIG. 7 is a section on line VII-VII in FIG. 5.

The buckle comprises the locking member 1 and the buckle body 2. Thelocking member 1 is so designed as to permit connection thereto of oneor more webs or bands of the safety belt while the buckle body 2 isarranged for fixation to the floor structure of the vehicle.

The buckle body 2 has an opening for the insertion of the locking memberI. The insertion opening is defined by two stationary metal sheets orlike plates spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the thicknessof the locking member 1, as well as by two locking hooks 4 pivoted tothe buckle body 2 and cooperating with the two longitudinal edges of thelocking member 1.

The locking hooks 4 are mounted for pivotment on a pair of rivets 5which interconnect the plates 3 of the buckle body 2. The locking hooks4 cooperate with a spring mechanism 6 which tends to move the inner endsof the hooks 4 towards one another and as a result to expel the lockingmember 1 from the insertion opening of the buckle body 2 with the aid ofabutments 7 formed on the locking hooks 4. The hooks 4 are adapted to beswung into locking position against the action of the spring mechanism 6by the locking member 1 upon insertion thereof in the buckle body 2. Thepivotment of the hooks 4 is realized in that the front end of thelocking member 1 engages the abutments 7 of the hooks 4. In lockingposition the hook means 8 of the locking hooks 4 are engaged in recesses9 formed in the two longitudinal edges of the locking member 1. Inlocking position the locking hooks 4 also cooperate with a spring-loadedlatch 10 which prevents the spring mechanism 6 from expelling thelocking member I inserted in the insertion opening of the buckle body 2.In other words, the locking member 1 will be expelled from the insertionopening of the buckle body 2 by the action of the spring mechanism 6when the latch 10 against the action of its spring 18 is moved out oflatching position between the inner ends of the two locking hooks 4 byan operating member 11.

According to the invention, the latch 10 is movable substantially atright angles to the side plates 3 of the buckle body 2. The latchextends between the side plates 3 and cooperates with recesses therein,said recesses extending all through the side plates and serving asguides for the latch 10. The operating member 11 is an arm formed as apush button and pivoted to one side plate 3 of the buckle body 2, saidarm engaging the latch 10 laterally of the axis of pivotment 12 to causethe latch to move when the arm 1 l is swung.

As will appear from the drawing, the arm 11 is pivoted between its endsto one side plate 3 of the buckle body 2, the latch 10 being fixedlyconnected to the arm 11 at one end thereof. As shown in FIG. 7, thelatch 10 is substantially formed as a T, the web 13 being opposite thelocking hooks 4 in the releasing position of the buckle, while the stem14 is adapted to engage the locking hooks 4 in the locking position. Forguiding purposes, the recesses formed in the side plates 3 have beenadjusted to the width of the web 13 and stem 14, respectively.

The buckle body 2 is provided with a casing 15 of synthetic plastics orlike material, which surrounds the body and is indicated by dash-and-dotlines. The casing 15 has a recess 16 opposite the arm 11 so that thelatter can operate as a push button. The casing 15 engages the arm 11and urges it into contact with the side plate 3 of the buckle body 2, sothat there is no need for any solid axis of pivotment 12. The casing 15preferably has guides for the longitudinal edges of the arm 1 1.

The axis of pivotment 12 of the arm 11 is a cam which is formed on thearm 11 and is arranged to bear against the side plate 3 of the bucklebody 2. Said cam 12 is the center of curvature for that portion 17 ofthe arm 11 which bears against the casing 15. Upon pivotment of the arm1 1 the curved portion 17 will thus slide under unaltered pressureagainst the inner side of the casing 15.

When the locking member 1 reaches its locking position in the bucklebody 2 the locking hooks 4 have been swung into such a position that thestem 14 of the latch 10 can be moved by the action of the spring 18 froma lateral position to the latching position between the inner ends ofthe locking books 4. When the push button or operating member 11 is thensubjected to pressure the stem 14 of the latch is moved back under theaction of the spring 18 to the lateral position from the positionbetween the inner ends of the locking hooks 4, which results in that thelocking member 1 is expelled from the insertion opening of the bucklebody 2 by the action of the spring mechanism 6.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A buckle forsafety belts for vehicles, preferably automobiles, aircraft andseacraft, one part of the buckle being a belt locking member and theother part thereof being a buckle body having an opening for theinsertion of the locking member, said insertion opening being defined bytwo stationary side plates spaced apart a distance substantially equalto the thickness of the locking member, as well as by two locking hookspivoted to the buckle body and cooperating with the two longitudinaledges of the locking member, said locking hooks being adapted to beswung against the action of a spring mechanism into locking position bythe locking member upon insertion thereof in the buckle body, in whichlocking position the locking hooks engage in recesses formed in the twolongitudinal edges of the locking member, and said locking hooks, whichunder the action of the spring mechanism tend to expel the lockingmember inserted in the insertion opening of the buckle body, cooperatewith a spring-loaded latch which in the locking position engages thelocking hooks and which is adapted, upon release of the buckle, to bemoved out of the engagement with the locking hooks by an operatingmember against spring action, wherein the latch is movable substantiallyat right angles to the two side plates of the buckle, said latchextending between the side plates and cooperating with recesses whichare formed in said side plates and serve as guides for the latch, andthe operating member is an arm which is pivoted to one side plate of thebuckle body, is formed as a push button, and cooperates laterally of theaxis of pivotment with the latch to move it when the arm is swung.

2. A buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arm formed as a pushbutton is pivoted between its ends to one side plate of the buckle body,the latch being fixedly connected to said arm at one end thereof.

3. A buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arm formed as a pushbutton is accommodated within a casing surrounding the buckle body, saidcasing engaging said arm and urging it into contact with the side plateof the buckle body.

4. A buckle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the axis of pivotment of thearm formed as a push button is a cam which is formed on said arm and isarranged to bear against one side plate of the buckle body, and the camis the center of curvature for that portion of the arm which bearsagainst the casing.

1. A buckle for safety belts for vehicles, preferably automobiles,aircraft and seacraft, one part of the buckle being a belt lockingmember and the other part thereof being a buckle body having an openingfor the insertion of the locking member, said insertion opening beingdefined by two stationary side plates spaced apart a distancesubstantially equal to the thickness of the locking member, as well asby two locking hooks pivoted to the buckle body and cooperating with thetwo longitudinal edges of the locking member, said locking hooks beingadapted to be swung against the action of a spring mechanism intolocking position by the locking member upon insertion thereof in thebuckle body, in which locking position the locking hooks engage inrecesses formed in the two longitudinal edges of the locking member, andsaid locking hooks, which under the action of the spring mechanism tendto expel the locking member inserted in the insertion opening of thebuckle body, cooperate with a spring-loaded latch which in the lockingposition engages the locking hooks and which is adapted, upon release ofthe buckle, to be moved out of the engagement with the locking hooks byan operating member against spring action, wherein the latch is movablesubstantially at right angles to the two side plates of the buckle, saidlatch extending between the side plates and cooperating with recesseswhich are formed in said side plates and serve as guides for the latch,and the operating member is an arm which is pivoted to one side plate ofthe buckle body, is formed as a push button, and cooperates laterally ofthe axis of pivotment with the latch to move it when the arm isswung.
 1. A buckle for safety belts for vehicles, preferablyautomobiles, aircraft and seacraft, one part of the buckle being a beltlocking member and the other part thereof being a buckle body having anopening for the insertion of the locking member, said insertion openingbeing defined by two stationary side plates spaced apart a distancesubstantially equal to the thickness of the locking member, as well asby two locking hooks pivoted to the buckle body and cooperating with thetwo longitudinal edges of the locking member, said locking hooks beingadapted to be swung against the action of a spring mechanism intolocking position by the locking member upon insertion thereof in thebuckle body, in which locking position the locking hooks engage inrecesses formed in the two longitudinal edges of the locking member, andsaid locking hooks, which under the action of the spring mechanism tendto expel the locking member inserted in the insertion opening of thebuckle body, cooperate with a spring-loaded latch which in the lockingposition engages the locking hooks and which is adapted, upon release ofthe buckle, to be moved out of the engagement with the locking hooks byan operating member against spring action, wherein the latch is movablesubstantially at right angles to the two side plates of the buckle, saidlatch extending between the side plates and cooperating with recesseswhich are formed in said side plates and serve as guides for the latch,and the operating member is an arm which is pivoted to one side plate ofthe buckle body, is formed as a push button, and cooperates laterally ofthe axis of pivotment with the latch to move it when the arm is swung.2. A buckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arm formed as a pushbutton is pivoted between its ends to one side plate of the buckle body,the latch being fixedly connected to said arm at one end thereof.
 3. Abuckle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arm formed as a push button isaccommodated within a casing surrounding the buckle body, said casingengaging said arm and urging it into contact with the side plate of thebuckle body.